January 26, 2000
Dance School 101
By Carol South
Herald contributing writer
The idea of being an authority figure and subject matter expert may not occur to the average 17- year-old.
But as the three student teachers with the Dance Arts Academy lead their classes through their paces, it is nothing unusual for them. They are the bottom line for students: deciding who does what, when and how, and keeping the kids progressing each week. At the same time, they make sure everyone has fun while learning.
All in all, it beats the standard teen gig of flipping burgers or retail sales. And these young teachers themselves love their work.
"The best part about teaching is to see them progress throughout the year," said Shannon Keane, 17, a k a 'Miss Shannon' to students in the six classes she teaches. "I love my job, it doesn't seem like work at all - I'm getting paid for having fun."
Keane has been studying dance since she was three and started assistant teaching at 12. She has been on her own in class since she was 14, after two years of working closely with adult dance teachers. Now she teaches creative movement for three- and four-year olds, pre-ballet, beginning ballet, continuing ballet and continuing jazz. She does all this while keeping up with her studies as a junior at St. Francis High School, taking five dance classes a week and studying with Company Dance Traverse.
Fitting it all in, while keeping up her studies, is a logistical challenge. But Keane finds it a great help that her job has rewards that spill over into all areas of her life.
"Dance helps me with school because dance is so disciplined," Keane said. "It has also helped me with confidence, like in giving a speech. I am on the honor roll and in the National Honor Society and I don't think I would be if I weren't in dance."
In a room full of a dozen three year olds or 15 five year olds, oftentimes with parents looking on, Keane finds patience and consistency are key. She keeps things moving and gives the children a lot to do and learn. She also makes sure that they pay attention, don't talk out of turn (too much) and sit still between lessons.
"This year I am a lot more strict," Keane said. "It's hard because I don't want to come across as mean, but I want them to listen, pay attention and learn. When I was little, my teacher was strict and that carries over."
Carolyn Schilling is another student teacher at the Dance Arts Academy. She started her career by teaching a hip-hop class last summer. She has since joined the staff teaching hip-hop, jazz, and modern classes during the year. She has found that teaching deepened her own dance skills, both physically and mentally.
"From teaching I have become a better dancer and a better learner," said Schilling, a senior at St. Francis High School and an honor student. "When you teach something you learn it twice."
The satisfaction of seeing their students progress and master the dance techniques keeps the student teachers coming back semester after semester.
"The most fun with younger kids is seeing how they progress," Keane said. "For a couple of weeks, they can't really even skip and then when they get it, it is so exciting."
Betsy Carr, co-owner of the Dance Arts Academy, finds that using student teachers gives the younger dancers someone to look up to and eases the teaching load on the adult teachers. Carr is currently mentoring two younger girls who are assistant teaching with her, getting them ready to teach on their own in the future.
Carr and co-owner Susan Heinz find their future student teachers stand out in class early on. They are the dancers who work so well with the younger students in the studio, are extremely motivated in their own dance classes, and have a high degree of responsibility and discipline for their age. Sometimes these students come to them first to ask if they can help with teaching.
"It's exciting for them and it also means you can help more kids," said Carr, who began assistant teaching herself at 12 in her mother's dance studio in Howell. "In pre-ballet classes and above, they follow a standard curriculum and work week by week through the terms and moves. We have been so fortunate because we have such great kids as teachers."